This invention relates generally to an antenna assembly and, more particularly, to a collapsible, steerable antenna assembly configured for rapid deployment.
Traditionally, to receive an adequate signal from a communication satellite, an antenna had to be securely fitted to a rigid mount which was adjustable in both azimuth and elevation. Later, antennas began being mounted on moving vehicles. These antenna systems were required to be adjustable in elevation sufficiently to suit the latitude of the vehicle. In addition, portable antenna systems also began to develop. These portable systems were also required to be adjustable in elevation sufficient to suit the latitude of the ground at which they were located.
The use of portable antenna systems and other electronic equipment in the field today often requires the positioning of an antenna of substantial size, in order to prevent terrestrial interference and interference from other satellites with signal beings radiated or received by the antenna. In addition, the antenna and its support should be sufficiently compact in the stowed position, so as to not interfere with mobility of the antenna in the field.
Portable antenna systems of the general type mentioned above have been built in the past, but suffer from several disadvantages. These include excessive assembly time, a large number of separate pieces, complex assembly procedures which lead to a loss of parts and unreliability, difficulty of assembly, and the requirement of multiple operators to assemble and disassemble the system.
In addition, these systems have been designed with the primary goal of breaking the unit down into multiple light-weight shipping containers that meet the maximum standards for lower lobe airline shipping. This increases the complexity and lengthens the assembly time of the antenna.
Further, past systems have proved inadequate in their ability to minimize distortion in the antenna dish of the system, due to either assembly technique or parametric distortion under the weight of the dish and other system components.
It is desirable for antenna system components to be as adjustable as possible for positioning and alignment efficiency. There is a continuing need for an antenna system that is highly accurate, yet has high modularity and portability, while remaining simple to assembly.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art have long recognized the need for a collapsible, steerable antenna assembly configured for rapid deployment. The present invention clearly fulfills these and other needs.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention resolves the above and other problems by providing a folding pod mount assembly for supporting a mountable member. In the present invention, the pod mount assembly maintains a collapsed state for transportation and a deployed state for operation. The pod mount assembly includes a central shaft and a plurality of ground-engaging support legs. The central shaft is rotatable between a folded horizontal position and an unfolded vertical position. The central shaft also includes a base and an extendable telescopic shaft that is movable between a stored retracted position and an operational extended position. The plurality of ground-engaging support legs are rotatably attached to the base of the central shaft and have a folded position and a deployed position. The central shaft is configured to rotatably lift the mountable member from the folded horizontal position to the unfolded vertical position, and the telescopic shaft is configured to lift the mountable member from the stored retracted position to the operational extended position.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the pod mount assembly is a quad pod mount assembly that has four ground-engaging support legs. The ground-engaging support legs of the mount assembly resemble a tripod configuration when in the deployed state because two of the support legs are positioned directly next to one another. Preferably, these two adjacently positioned legs are pinned together. Preferably, the mountable member is a steering controller assembly that has an attachment bracket for selectively securing the steering controller assembly to the pod mount assembly. The pod mount assembly is configured to lift and support the controller head of an antenna system.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the pod mount assembly includes wheels. The wheels are attached to the base of the central shaft and allow the pod mount assembly to be lifted at one end and rolled on the wheels when the pod mount assembly is in the collapsed state. Preferably, the pod mount assembly further includes a plurality of connection links that interconnect the ground engaging legs for increasing structural support. In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the pod mount assembly is hydraulically powered. Preferably, the pod mount assembly includes a hydraulic hand pump and cylinder. In one embodiment, additionally, the pod mount assembly is configured such that it may receive multiple sized antennas of multiple types of reflector configurations.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is also directed towards a steering controller assembly for aligning and positioning an antenna dish assembly in an antenna system. The steering controller assembly includes a horizontal tombstone controller that rotates the controller assembly about a first axis, a vertical tombstone controller that rotates the controller assembly about a second axis, and a transmission beam tombstone controller that provides polar rotation of the controller assembly about a third axis. The horizontal tombstone controller includes a base mount attachment for selectively securing the controller assembly to an antenna base mount. The vertical tombstone controller is secured to the horizontal tombstone controller. The transmission beam tombstone controller is operatively associated with the vertical tombstone through a pivot bracket, and includes a dish frame attachment for selectively securing the controller assembly to a back frame for an antenna dish in an antenna system.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the horizontal tombstone controls the azimuth of the dish assembly, the vertical tombstone controls the elevation of the dish assembly, and the transmission beam tombstone controls the polarization of the dish assembly. Advantageously, the steering controller assembly allows an antenna system to effectively utilize different shaped dishes, that is, dishes with non-circular beam apertures by controlling the polarization of the entire dish with the transmission beam tombstone. Further, the transmission beam tombstone rotates in a plane that is normal to a transmission beam axis of the antenna system.
In still another preferred aspect of the present invention, the steering controller assembly includes a flux gate compass with a level compensation capability. The level compensator corrects for compass inaccuracies which can be incurred while leveling the antenna base mount. In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the steering controller includes an electronic level meter to adjust the elevation of the dish. The steering controller assembly counterbalance further includes a gas spring counterbalance. The counterbalance acts to reduce the power requirement of an antenna assembly and increases large load manipulation capabilities. The steering controller assembly facilitates 360 degree articulation in both azimuth and antenna polarization. Additionally, the steering controller assembly facilitates greater than 90 degree articulation in elevation.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is also directed towards a method of rapidly deploying a steering controller assembly on a pod mount assembly into an elevated operation position. The pod mount assembly has a central shaft that is rotatable between a folded horizontal position and an unfolded vertical position, and includes an extendable telescopic shaft that is movable between a stored retracted position and an operational extended position. The method includes supporting a steering controller assembly at a predetermined height and orientation in a shipping case with a wheeled base and a removable top and wall section; positioning the retracted telescopic shaft of the mount assembly in alignment with the shipping case when the central shaft is in the folded horizontal position; detaching of the removable top and wall section from the wheeled base of the shipping case; rolling the steering controller assembly on the wheeled base of the shipping case into position adjacent the retracted telescopic shaft when the central shaft is in the folded horizontal position, attaching the steering controller assembly to the retracted telescopic shaft while still on the wheeled base of the shipping case; rotatably lifting the steering controller assembly with the mount assembly from the folded horizontal position of the central shaft to the unfolded vertical position of the central shaft; and raising the steering controller assembly with the mount assembly from the stored retracted position of the telescopic shaft to the operational extended position of the telescopic shaft.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed towards a method of rapidly deploying as many portions of the backframe and dish as are practical onto a steering controller assembly of a pod mount assembly in order to facilitate raising these parts into an elevated operation position. This method includes the additional steps of: rotating the central shaft with the attached steering controller to nominally a 45 degree angle to allow comfortable attachment of heavy backframe components, template components, and possibly dish components; and rotating the central shaft to a vertical position.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dish assembly, back frame assembly, rotary steering assembly, and collapsible mount assembly are deployable by a single person. Preferably, the steerable antenna assembly is collapsible, rapidly deployable, has very few parts, and is inexpensive compared to other types of known antenna systems.